The U.S. Department of Transportation has proposed more stirngent standards for side-impact crash protection in all passenger vehicles. The proposed changes, developed by the DOT's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, would require auto manufacturers to provide head protection in side crashes and would enhance thorax and pelvis protection for a wider range of vehicle occupants involved in such crashes.
In addition, changes are being made in the use of crash test dummies. For the first time, a dummy representing a small adult female would be used in side-impact performance testing, along with a new and more technically advanced dummy representing an adult male of average height.
Although NHTSA does not mandate specific technologies to meet its performance standards, manufacturers are likely to respond with various types of head, chest, and pelvis protection systems, such as side air bags. NHTSA estimates that the changes would save 700 to 1000 lives per year. NHTSA also estimates that, in serious side-impact crashes involving at least one fatality, nearly 60 percent of those killed have suffered brain injuries.
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